


Old friends, new talks

by RocioWrites



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 16:23:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1717025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocioWrites/pseuds/RocioWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hi!” She squeaks, insecure and maybe a little bit scared too. Does Elle want to talk to her? Does Elle remember her? Has Elle forgiven her? God knows Garcia herself hasn’t.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old friends, new talks

**Author's Note:**

> Set somewhere after s06 - and before s07.

Written for the [Criminal Minds Prompt Meme on LJ](http://cmpromptmeme.livejournal.com/). [Round One: Ladies](http://cmpromptmeme.livejournal.com/877.html?thread=40045#t40045).

Prompt: Elle bumps into Garcia while out, they go for coffee and catch up.

 

*

Garcia thinks she’s imaging things. Because, seriously, there’s no way the woman siting in front of her is Elle.  _Her Elle_. The same Elle she loved - still loves - and she let down. She squeezes Kevin’s hand and he looks at her but Garcia’s eyes are on that woman. NotElle looks a lot like Elle, the short brown hair, the straight back. Garcia is afraid of NotElle turning around because if NotElle has Elle’s face, there’s no denying it.

“Are you okay?” Kevin whispers. And she nods, once, twice. But she doesn’t say anything; she can’t.

“I’m okay.” She finally answers “Go home.”

Kevin looks confused for a second but she  _needs_  to find out if NotElle is in fact Elle. He follows her gaze and his eyes land on this woman; he knows better than to ask.

“Take care. See you at home.” And he kisses her cheek and disappears. Penelope needs the space, Kevin does not question who the woman is or why he has to leave.

Garcia watches Kevin go and counts to ten. Then, walks and faces the truth.

NotElle is Elle.  _Her Elle._

“Hi!” She squeaks, insecure and maybe a little bit scared too. Does Elle want to talk to her? Does Elle remember her? Has Elle forgiven her? God knows Garcia herself hasn’t.

Elle blinks, surprised, and her mouth forms an 'O'. No sound comes out of it.

A few uncomfortable seconds pass by, they look at each other. Garcia is ready to leave. Elle is ready to flee or fight.

“Am I interrupting something?” Garcia asks even when Elle’s table is empty except for one lonely cup of cold coffee. She smiles nervously and does her best to seem completely friendly.

“No.” Comes the reply. Garcia is about to say something but Elle says “Do you want to sit down?”

And what Elle is really saying is  _‘I still think of you as a friend, as part of my family’_. Elle is implying she has forgiven her, forgiven them.

“I’d love to.”

They wait in silence while someone refills their cups and then they stay silent because they don’t know what to say.

Garcia wants to hug her and tell her she’s sorry. The whole team is sorry. And if she could go back in time, she would do everything to help her. Instead she murmurs “You still have short hair.”

“Yes, I do.” Elle smiles and her smile is warm and sincere and Garcia sighs with relief. “Your hair looks amazing. As usual.”

They laugh a little and the tension disappears. For a moment or two they both can swear nothing wrong has ever happened.

“How’ve you been?”

“Better.” She answers and Garcia feels awful just thinking about all the things Elle went through but also feels glad because Elle is better. “What’s been happening at the office?” A slow smile graces her face and Elle is so damn beautiful when she smiles.

“A lot!” Elle sips her cup and watches Garcia in all her glowing self. “For starters, Gideon left.” It’s almost a whisper. Elle’s eyebrows go up but doesn’t utter a word. “Haley is dead.”

“What happened?” She inquires, surprised and sorrowful.

Garcia half smiles and it’s sad and this tells Elle all she needs to know. After all, she still can profile people, she still catches little things others don’t. Elle still remembers what Gideon, Hotch, Morgan and Reid taught her; Elle still knows how to read people.

“A case… An unsub…” She mumbles and at the end sets for “Too much work.”

“Of course.”

“Yeah… We’ve been… busy, very busy.”

“What happened with Gideon?”

Garcia’s not sure how much she should tell or how to put all that has happened into words. If she could just tell Elle the feelings it would be easier, because basically their life has been a rollercoaster all these years. “Too much work.” She repeats and is afraid Elle will ask for details.

Elle doesn’t.

“Are there good news somewhere?” It sounds like a joke but they both know that while working in such a job you need to keep thinking of the good news. When Garcia has to focus a minute too long, Elle knows there are no good news.

“Reid dresses better now. And he got this new haircut…” She gossips and Elle feels this urge to look for Reid. “I have a boyfriend.”

“I’m glad. Is he good with you? Do I have to kick someone’s ass?”

“Oh no no, he’s amazing!” She cries out. “He’s the best.”

“Well, if he can make you go out of your cybernetic cave then he’s not that bad.”

“And oh! JJ! She has the most beautiful son!”

“JJ?”

“Yes! Well, she’s not working at the BAU but we still see her a lot. She and Will are enganged and Henry is the cutest boy you’ve ever met. And I don’t say this just because I’m his godmother, oh no.” Elle laughs and the sound is so magical and so lovely that Garcia wishes she could listen to it everyday. “Reid is the godfather.” She announces proudly.

“Reid? Are you sure you want him near a kid? And tell me, how old is…” But a cellphone ringing cuts her off. It’s Elle’s. She looks at the little screen but does not answer the call. “I have to go.”

“Oh…”

Garcia wants her to stay. Actually, she wants to take her home. God, she wants to put Elle in front of the rest of the team and make them happy again. Suddenly, she wants to tell Elle all about Emily and how she’s not going to see Emily anymore. As she suspects she’s not going to see Elle anymore.  _The only difference being Elle’s alive and well_.

“I… am glad we could chat.”

“Me too.” Elle stands up so she hurries and says it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t with Morgan or Reid or JJ.”

“What?”

“Morgan, Reid or JJ…” Garcia smiles a self depreciating smile. “You have more in common with them. We’ve never…”

“I’m glad it was you.” Elle interrupts her.

“You are?”

And she nods. “You’re a great woman, Garcia. You keep seeing this awful stuff and you still smile and dress like a rainbow; I respect you so much.”

“Seriously?” Garcia’s face lights up and Elle smiles this cocky smile of hers and they both know this is how things were supposed to happen if someone on the team had to meet Elle by accident. “Can we…?” She starts, but she’s not really sure she should ask for her number or her adress.

“I’m glad we could catch up a little bit.” Elle answers almost too quickly and Garcia understands,  _she knows_. The past is the past. Their friendship belongs there.

“I’m glad too.” The cellphone begins to ring again and Elle just rolls her eyes in exasperation. “See you around?” She asks hopefuly.

There’s no answer. Garcia wasn’t honestly waiting for one.

So Elle just leaves, a smile in her face, a cup of coffee in her hand. A warm spot in her heart.


End file.
